Look Back at Oroville and Butte County Heroes

Bill Connelly and I are co-chairmen of the Oroville Veterans Memorial Park Honoring All of Butte County. Please check out our website, by webmaster Daryl Autrey, at www.orovilleveteransmemorialpark.org. If you have anything you would like to share with me please call me at 533-8147.

A Post-HS Autobiographical Sketch of Cecil R. Hall

This sketch begins following the benchmark date of June 1939, marking my graduation from Chaffey Union HS, Ontario, Calif.

Very shortly after the last graduation harrah my folks departed the region for Los Angeles. I was not consulted about the decision to move and since they were still my meal ticket I tagged along with them.

The economy at that time had begun to heat up so jobs for unskilled HS grads were plentiful.

The only career goals I had in hand was my membership in the California National Guard. Early on while a junior in HS I had joined the California National Guard Unit housed in the basement of our high school, commanded by Anson J. Smalley, our venerable history and civics teacher, of which I was one of his students.

Upon moving to Los Angeles I transferred my membership to the guard unit housed in the Los Angeles Coliseum, on the 3rd of March 1941.

Stu — This is the introduction more will come next week and the weeks following.

Stu's Notes:

I recently was invited to attend the annual Boys and Girls State dinner at the American Legion. I am always impressed by the students that were chosen to attend Boys and Girls State. Each of them gave a report to the people who attended the dinner. The event was emceed by Ron Scharbor, American Legion Post 95.

This is what two of the boys had to say about their experiences at Boys State. We now know that Andrew Elliott and Gannon Wallace were from Las Plumas High School and Luke Lundberg and Chan Chiem Jeffery Saeteurn are from Oroville High School. Here are the last two stories.

Chan Chiem Jeffery Saeteurn:

"My experience I had at CSU Sacramento for Boys State was phenomenal. Taking my first step on that campus on that first day was difficult. I remember looking around and scouting for the registration booth. My legs were shaking because I didn't know anyone.

"I checked into my room and met my roommates. It was then that I noticed that I was among a group of intellectuals. One of my roommates was planning to be an engineer just like me. We got along quite well.

"As the days passed we did everything a real government did but in a time span of about six days. I was a city counselor for the city of Muir, and we were the most hated; it was probably because we had our own showers, toilets, microwaves and individual living rooms.

"We watched other delegates go through the long process to become a politician. They campaigned and gained their popularity through their meticulous yet humorous speeches.

"That week went by like a breeze. Before I knew it, it was already time to go home. I will never forget the experience I had. I grew and became much more knowledgeable of how government works.

"Boys State has changed my life and I would like to thank the American Legion for sponsoring me. I owe them my greatest gratitude. Thank You"

Luke Lundberg

"Boys State is an experience of a lifetime. The opportunity to spend a week with some of the brightest and the best in California is a truly enriching experience.

My roommate was a body-building football star which greatly contrasts my runner physique. We hit it off great and it definitely made it easy to start off my week.

I began my political experience by runny for city council member. I won the fifth seat by a ro-sham-bow match against the guy I tied with. I was quite relieved.

The City Council immediately began writing rules and I was busy all week writing laws to maintain order in the city of Burbank.

At Boy's State they talk about an everlasting bond or comrade among all the delegates of Boys State, I definitely felt this bond come true toward the end of the week. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and I again thank the American Legion for sending me to Boys State."

Well we had a great Veterans Day Parade. Three months of committee meetings and a whole lot of help from many individuals.

Our Oroville Veterans Memorial Park Committee was well represented. We had members on every veterans float including our own and four or five of us on the parade committee chaired by Bob Hewitt of the Exchange Club.

Our membership is getting spread pretty thin. We always hope a new face will walk through those doors at our Veterans Memorial Hall at 2340 Montgomery St., 6:30 p.m. every third Monday. The above Cecil R. Hall just joined our group.

Criteria to become a member of us just walk through those doors that hundreds of Oroville's finest have walked through for almost 90 years. I know Spanish-American veterans have walked through those doors and men and women from all our wars ever since.

Of course you don't have to be a veteran to join our committee; just come on in sit down and wow you're in. No dues, you don't have to ride a goat, lizard or frog, you are one of us.

Remember Pearl Harbor Day, Dec. 7. The ceremony this year will be at the Gridley Cemetery. Time and date same as it has been for 72 years.

Last year we had two ceremonies in Gridley for the first time. All will unite in one spot this year. Big thanks to the people that run the Gridley Fairgrounds through the years. They took care of us.